Railroad-crossing.



V. L. COOPER;

RAILROAD GEOSSING. APPLICATION FILED EBB.2I5, 1913.

1,071,398, Patented Aug.26,1913.

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VORAS I.. coornn, or CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

RAILROAD-CROSSING.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Application filed Februaryv, 1913. SerllNo'. 750,559.

To all whom t may concern Be it known that I, VoRAs L. COOPER, a

citizen of the United States, and a residentand the object of this improvement is to.

provide a device of this character having movable sections in the heads of they rails making up the device, and which are adapted to close the wheel flange notches in the direction in which a train is moving across the crossing. y Y

Other objects will appear hereinafter.

The invention consists in the combinations and arrangements of parts hereinafter described and claimed.

The invention will be best understood by reference to the accompanying drawing forming a part of this specification, and in which,

Figure 1 is a plan view of a crossing embodying my invention, a portion of said view being broken away to expose portions of the operating mechanism, Fig. 2 is a section of the same taken on line 2-2 in F ig. 1, Fig. 3 is a section taken on line 3 3 in Fig. 1, and Fig. 1 is a section taken on line 4 4 in Fig. 1.

In ordinary construction of railroad crossings the rails making up the crossing are provided with transverse notches in their faces to accommodate the anges of the wheels on the cars passing thereover. Said notches being provided in all of the rails presents a break in the tread of the rail in both directions, thereby causing the wheel to drop slightly into the notch in passing over it. closing up this notch thereby presenting a smooth surface for the wheel to travel over.

The preferred form of construction as illustrated in the accompanying drawings comprises rails 5 and 6. Portions of the upper part of the balls of each of the rails 5 and 6 are cut away substantially as indicated and an adjustable member 7 fitted in each of the cut away portions of said rails. Portions of members 7 are of a width equal to the width of the head of the rail to which it is attached and a portion of substantially half the width, as indicated. The narrow portion of each of the members 7 is prolWIy invention provides means for vided with a groove adapted to' fit a tongue 8 on its coperating` rail portion to prevent lateral movement of said member 7. The frontend, or the end which closes the flange opening in theA rail, is slidablylmounted on a stud 9, vsubstantially as shown` in Fig. v3. Said stud is threaded yor otherwise secured in the member 7 and slidably mounted in the lower portion of the head ofthe' rail. The surface of a car wheelissubstantialIy cylindrical in form therefore engaging substantiallylthe entirewwidtlrof rail. In this mannerl the' wheelin passing overlopenings 11 formed Whenthe members 7,. are moved longitudinally `to, close the wheel flange notches` 10 that an evensurfacel willbevpre sented in the rail thereby preventing' the wheel from falling into the openings 10, asv

willV be readily understood.

The' members 7 are connected together to be operated simultaneously. Each of the members 7 is connected by means of a connecting rod 12 secured to a wrist pin on a wheel 13 and said wheel is journaled on a suitable support 14 secured to or formed integrally with the rail. The wheels 13 are connected together by means of connecting rods 15 and 16 to be rotated simultaneously. The connecting rods 16 are connected by means of a bar 17 which is operated, by means of a rod 18 and the connecting bell crank lever 19 and rod 9.0, from a tower or other convenient position substantially in the manner now in general use in operating railroad switches.

The device as illustrated is set for trains running in the direction of arrow 21 or vice versa, and when it is desired to set the crossing for a train to cross in the transverse direction the operator, in his tower Or other suitable position, moves his lever operating the rod 18 thereby moving the bar 17 from its full line position to its dotted line position, see Fig. 1. This movement of bar 17 moves the connecting rod 16, one of the connecting rods 16 rotating the wheels 13 on their supports 14C causing the members 7 at the right hand side of Fig. 1 to be moved longitudinally to close the wheel flange openings 10 and at the same time moving the members 7 at the bottom side of Fig. 1 to open wheel flange openings 10. The other connecting rod 16 moves the wheels 13 on their supports 14 thereby moving the members 7 longitudinally at the top of Fig. 1 to open the wheel flange openings 10 and move the members 7 on the right hand side of Fig". l to close the wheel flange openings l() so that a train may pass in a transverse direction to that indicated by arrow 21 in Fig. l. The operator moves the rod 18 in the opposite direction to effect returning the members 7 of the device to the full line positions indicated when it is so desired.

lVhile I have illustrated and described the preferred form of construction for car* rying my invention into elfect, this is capable of variation and modification without departing from the spirit of the invention. I, therefore7 do not wish to be limited to the precise details of construction set forth, but desire to avail myself of such variations and modications as come within the scope of the appended claims.

Having' vdescribed my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In combination, a railroad crossing having recesses in the upper sides of the heads of the component rail portions there of; members mounted in said recesses for `longitudinal movement; crank wheels carried by said rail portions and connected together for simultaneous rotation thereof; and connecting` rods connecting said inembers with said crank wheels, substantially as described.

2. In combination, a railroad crossing having recesses in the upper sides of the heads of the component rail portions thereof; members mounted in said recesses for longitudinal movement; crank wheels carried by said rail portions; two parallel connecting links each connecting two of said crank wheels; a bar operatively connecting' said connecting links; a connectingl link connecting` a third crank Wheel with each of said two crank wheels; and connecting rods connecting said members with said crank wheels, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

VORAS L. COOPER.

lVitnesses JOSHUA R. H. Poris, HELEN F. LILLIs.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents Washington, D. C. 

